Can't Live Without You
by DemonOtaku-Pearlshipper
Summary: Ash and Dawn started seeing their skills drop and wonder why...until they realize: they need each other! Ash crosses the sea to see her and their relationship takes a different turn. (; But will another conflict arise to challenge their budding romance?
1. I Miss You

**This is my first story on fanfiction and I hope you all enjoy it. I love Pearlshipping and I hope I can make more stories for this couple.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

**Please leave any reviews that could help me for the next chapter! :D**

**Ash: Hmm, we have an amateur on our hands I see.**

**Me: Hey! *pout***

**Dawn: *slaps Ash* Shush, don't make her anymore nervous than she already is.**

**Me: Mhmm...or I might find a nice tombstone with your name on it. *punches fist into other hand***

**Ash: *sweat drops* Meep. o.O**

* * *

**Chapter 1- I Miss You**

_Yes this is it! _Ash thought, grinning at the trainer he was close to defeating. His red and white cap was backwards on his shaggy dark hair, his gloved hands clenched in determination. This is what he was born to do.

He looked at the sidelines, expecting to see his favorite blue haired friend in a pink cheerleader outfit, waving her pompoms and encouraging him on. He expected to see her Pokemon dancing around her feet, their cries clashing together...instead he saw his friend Iris and Cilan clapping on the sidelines, screaming his and Pikachu's names.

That's when Ash faltered.

His determination came crashing down and the world around him rocked, then blackened. Instead he saw his best friend's large sapphire eyes in his vision, so vivid he thought she was actually in front of him. He saw her raising her hand for a high five, beaming and saying, _"Great job, Ash!" _He was just lifting his hand to meet hers when he heard his opponent cry, "Serperior, leaf storm!"

Ash snapped back into reality, but it was too late: Pikachu let out a scream of, "PIKAAA!" and flung backwards against the ground, blown back by a ferocious storm of leaves; and then suddenly his eyes were unfocused.

"Pikachu's unable to battle, so Serperior wins; the victory goes to Trip!" Cilan announced sadly from the sidelines.

"Pikachu!" Ash yelped, rushing forward to cradle the yellow mouse. It looked up at him mournfully, and Ash could tell he was upset from losing.

Trip approached Ash, calling his Serperior back to it's Poke ball. His cocky smirk normally made Ash want to punch him, but right now Ash was too disoriented from his loss and his vision of Dawn.

The blond boy laughed. "And I thought you couldn't get any worse," He said snidely to his dark haired rival, who glared up at him.

Ash wasn't sure what to say, or whether he even cared. All he knew was that he had to call Dawn, see her, hug her, high five her...

He needed her.

_But I can't tell anyone that, _He thought to himself. _If anyone knew...especially her...oh gosh, what do I do?_

Ash got to his feet and turned to face his friends, ignoring Trip.

He found light brown eyes close to his and he jumped. "Ash Ketchum, what the heck was that?" Iris scolded, bristling at his confused expression. "Don't give me that look; you know exactly why I'm mad!"

"Sorry, I missed that memo," he growled in response, anger replacing his confusion. Almost.

The purple haired bud dragon master ground her teeth and spat, "You let him defeat you!"

The ebony haired boy narrowed his brown eyes. "I didn't," He mumbled, still feeling crushed and immobilized.

She didn't buy it. "Oh yeah? What happened to all that training? We all knew -even Trip- that you would've defeated him today if you hadn't just...I dunno, _lost it."_

Ash blinked; he hadn't thought he could defeat Trip, even with all his determination. But what Iris was saying was slowly making an impact on his mind...

"It's true, Ash," His green haired friend agreed, patting Ash's shoulder. "We all saw it in your eyes; you were pumped with a spicy determination."

"What happened Ash?" Iris asked softly, her anger slowly ebbing away. _I can't stay mad at Ash for long, _She thought solemnly.

Ash didn't meet their eyes, carefully examining his shoelaces. "I'm not sure," He lied quietly.

Iris opened her mouth to yell at him, anger getting the best of her again, but Cilan put a hand on her shoulder to silence her. "Ash, you can tell us."

Suddenly, fury shot through Ash. Why did they keep bugging him? It wasn't their business, wasn't his fault he felt so empty. "Nothing! Would you just leave me alone?!" He turned around and ran before his friends could reply, ran hard in the direction of the Pokemon Center the trio were staying at. He had to blink hasty tears of sadness from his vision, tears of frustration, tears of anger, tears of...

Tears of loss.

_Why did I leave her? _Ash wondered as Nurse Joy whisked Pikachu away on a stretcher. Pikachu wasn't badly hurt, but medical attention would be best for him right now.

Ash sighed and sat down in the waiting room, sifting through his bag for...

There.

He pulled out his badge case and opened it, examining his trainer ID card signed up for all five Pokemon leagues and his eight Unova badges. He frowned. _Why do I feel like these are worthless? _ He thought to himself, fingering his Trio Badge given to him by his green haired companion.

_I always thought this was my life's ambition, and I always felt good about achieving my goals. I thought I was happy, but..._

Ash plucked the bottom hatch open under his badges and looked at the photo carefully stashed beneath.

It was of him and Dawn after defeating the Champ Twins so long ago. Brock had snapped the photo of them when they'd shared one of their high fives together. Ash smiled weakly at his wild grin and Dawn's beautiful smile set in place as always...her sapphire eyes full of euphoria and happiness...

He missed her big blue eyes, missed her confident smile, her sweet laugh, her long, dark blue silky hair...

He missed the blunette more than words could say.

"Oh Dawn," Ash whispered, running a finger down the side of her face.

"Ash?"

He looked up glumly and found Cilan and Iris standing before him, both looking worry. They sat on either side of him.

"What's wrong?" Iris asked softly, her little dragon type Pokemon, Axew, popping his head out to look at Ash.

Ash opened his mouth, trying to find words, but they got lost in his throat. Slowly, he pointed to the picture of him and Dawn. Both the connoisseur and bud dragon master peaked over his shoulder.

"Dawn?" Cilan breathed. He stared at Ash, his green eyes twinkling. "You miss her?"

Ash peered from under his hat and his cheeks were flushed. "Yes," He managed, running a hand through his dark hair. "I miss her_."_

* * *

Dawn smirked. _No need to worry! _She thought in excitement, watching Quilava pull off the excellent routine they'd practiced_._

With a huge grin, the blue haired coordinator was about to call out the final move when suddenly a thought crossed her mind: _He's not there for me._

She glanced up at the stands, scanned the crowd. No ebony haired boy sat cheering her name, no boy waiting to high five her after the appeal round. She lost the thread of the carefully plotted routine and stared in shock at Quilava. She wasn't sure why but suddenly she felt her confidence being sucked away.

Quilava looked expectantly at her, spinning and flipping through it's fiery hoop, waiting for her command. But her voice seemed to have vanished and the world didn't seem to matter.

Dawn visioned herself hugging Ash before he left for Kanto, holding back tears that were threatening to burst from her. She remembered how watery his brown eyes seemed, the way his arms seemed to tremble. She had felt the tears leak out of her eyes as the ferry carried away her best friend... She remembered waving to him until the boat had vanished into the horizon, remembered how weak and empty she felt. She remembered when she got home she locked herself in her room and cried for hours and hours. She remembered all those times they'd shared their high fives, shared the laughs, had great times, great adventures, saving each other...the tag battles...

_Ash, _ She thought, her fists trembling. She saw a large blast of fire before her eyes and her bubble shattered as she realized what was happening; she saw Quilava land in a shaky flip, having broken it's fiery wheel. The moves looked pretty and made Quilava look powerful, but it hadn't been perfect like the original.

She had messed up. The crowd and judges still applauded, though the judges didn't look too impressed. Dawn hastily curtsied and scampered off the stage, Quilava at her heels.

The moment Dawn got in the little room for the coordinators to hang out in to wait for their performance, she collapsed onto a cushioned seat and hid her face in her hands.

_Even when I can't see him he still manages to slip in my thoughts and distract me, _She thought somberly, twirling her fingers through her hair and lacy light pink dress. _Why do I feel this way_?

"Dawn!"

Dawn lifted her head and saw her brunette friend approaching her, accompanied by two people...

"Hi May...Zoe, Kenny," She murmured glumly, barely managing a weak smile. She looked down at her high heels, not wanting to meet their eyes.

"Dee Dee, what's wrong? You did great!" Kenny said confidently, ruffling her hair. Dawn nodded numbly, too upset to even care he called her 'Dee Dee' or that he'd messed up her carefully done hair.

May's cerulean blue eyes were full of concern as she examined her blue haired friend's condition. _I wonder...what's wrong with her? She looks like she needs someone, _ She thought.

Zoe gave Dawn a stern look, her dark eyes searching Dawn as well. "You could've done better, like you did yesterday. What happened to you?"

Dawn looked up, a forced smile on her face. "Oh, I guess I wanted to try something else," She lied.

Her three friends frowned; they knew she was lying.

Zoe spoke up first. "You're a bad liar, Dawn," She said sharply, folding her arms and narrowing her eyes, her dark red hair looking like it would burst into flames. "Tell us what's wrong."

"Yeah, Dee Dee, or I'm gonna have to start making you laugh by telling embarrassing stories of nursery school," Kenny giggled.

Dawn's head shot up. "You wouldn't," She hissed, but she knew he would. She looked at her friends and sighed; she couldn't keep this up without telling them.

"Alright." Dawn took a deep breath and managed to breathe, "I really miss Ash."

Kenny's eyes widened, but May and Zoe looked unsurprised. "I knew it," They both said in unison.

Dawn was startled. _Was it that obvious? _ She thought and she blushed. _I thought I kept it hidden but...I guess I was wrong._

"I always knew you and Ash would have a hard time being apart," May said sweetly, putting a hand on Dawn's shoulder, her eyes twinkling. "You two get along better than me or Misty did with him...I always saw the look in your guys' eyes when you talked to each other, encouraged each other, and cheered one another on, plus the high fives- I just knew you were his favorite out of all of us. I noticed he never gave me or Misty high fives before- they were special and _only _for you."

Dawn didn't speak, but a warm feeling was growing inside her, filling the emptiness in her heart with hope. What May just said made her feel better; it made her feel confident, it made her feel sure it was true...

She needed Ash.

_But what if he doesn't miss me? _ She thought with a frown. _He's probably too busy fulfilling his Pokemon Master dreams to worry about missing me._

"Sorry to keep you waiting, here's the results for the first round!" Marian's voice called from the TV up above their heads and they all looked up. The announcer smirked and gestured at the screen. Faces of the coordinators moving on starting appearing...1, 2, 3, 4...

Dawn sucked in a breath. This was it, she had to make it...

5, 6, 7, and then-

The final face appeared, and it wasn't Dawn.

Her eyes widened. _No, not again._ Horror filled her as hope had just a minute ago. She knew she hadn't pulled off her full routine, but she had hoped the judges liked her unplanned and changed one.

Sighing, Dawn got to her feet. She looked at her three friends and whispered, "Can we go back to the hotel?"

* * *

Sitting in her room that night, Dawn was in front of her mirror in her pajamas and brushing her long midnight blue hair. She stared miserably at her reflection, trying decide if her decision was right.

_I think she'll understand, _Dawn thought to herself, pulling her laptop from her bag and flipping it open. She searched and finally, she pulled up the right contact and hit the call button.

Johanna, just finishing cleaning the dishes, heard her computer beeping in the dining room. She frowned, wondering who could be calling at this late hour. She set down her wash cloth and crossed the room to the computer and answered the call.

"Yes?"

"Hi Mom! Still awake?"

Johanna blinked sleepily and tried for a tired smile. "Hi honey, why the late night call?"

"Sorry mom, I just wanted to tell you-" Dawn hesitated, starting to doubt her decision. "-I'm coming home tomorrow."

Her mother looked surprised. _But why..? _ "How come?" She asked.

"Uh, what, I can't visit my mother?"

Johanna looked at her suspiciously. "Dawn, you lost again didn't you?" She peered at her, concerned for her daughter.

Dawn sighed and nodded. "I just...need a break."

Johanna decided not to press her until she got home. "Alright honey. I'm tired so I'll see you in the morning?"

"Yes, mom."

Dawn shut off her laptop and flopped on her bed, wondering what Ash was doing and if he missed her at all...

_Oh Ash, I miss you...I wish you knew how I felt..._

* * *

The next morning, Ash opened his eyes and found bright sunshine shining across his bed. He blinked when he saw Cilan and Iris packing and dressed. _Must of slept in, _He thought, starting to rub the sleep from his eyes when he realized he was still holding the photo of him and Dawn.

Ash struggled out of his bedsheets and approached his friends, a goal from the night before set on his mind. "Hey guys, I'm going to call someone real quick, can you make sure we have everything?"

Iris raised her eyebrows. "We're practically almost done with that, but fine." She watched him sprint through the door and down the stairs, thinking, _He must be excited for one reason, and I bet I can guess that reason..._

The purple haired girl giggled audibly. _He's so goofy, so hopelessly in love and he doesn't even know it._

* * *

**That's it for Chapter 1! **_  
_

**Ash: *shakes head* Short chapter if you ask me.**

**Iris: *groans* You're never satisfied.**

**Me, Dawn, and Cilan: *nods wisely***

**May: *huge grin* REVIEW PLEASE!**


	2. Thoughts & Decisions

**Mwahaha I have finally gotten Chapter 2 up! It's a tiny bit shorter than chapter 1 but I hope you enjoy it still! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon**

**Ash: Ugh, so it's short?**

**Dawn: Shh!**

**May: Gah what's up with this other shipping moment?**

**Me: Um it isn't major and the shipping won't happen in this story but it's just to excite it a bit...**

**Kenny: Is it me and Dawn? *big grin***

**Me: Eh, no, but Dawn is involved in it- it's not pearlshipping no worries that will come later (; So it begins...**

* * *

**Chapter 2- Thoughts & Decisions**

_The purple haired girl giggled audibly. 'He's so goofy, so hopelessly in love and he doesn't even know it. '_

Cilan glanced over at his purple haired companion. "What's so funny?" He asked her curiously. She looked over at him and laughed.

He stared at her in confusion. With a huge grin, she said, "Don't you see, this is the perfect opportunity to set them up!" Iris bounced up and down in excitement. Cilan tilted his head and set down his bag, considering the bud dragon master.

"Iris, let's not jump on that right away, he might only see her as a friend," he said calmly.

But the violet haired girl wasn't buying it. "Nu uh! I saw how they were together and how he talks about her." She clasped her hands together by her cheek and sighed, remembering when Dawn had visited just weeks ago and how friendly they were to each other...especially the blushing that she had noticed and constant closeness between the two. "It's so romantic..." _'Of course this sort of thing happens to only my friends, never me,' _She thought sadly.

Cilan smiled a little incredulously. "You feel really strong about this," He observed, scratching his chin with his fingers.

She blushed under his steady, green-eyed gaze. "I just...well everyone should be able to fall in love," Iris said hastily. "Especially Ash and Dawn; they deserve each other."

'_Something's not right with her,' _ Cilan thought, watching Iris turn her back hastily and resume packing. _'Maybe her love life isn't working...'_

* * *

Ash came to a halt beside the computer in the lobby, thinking, _'She'll know what's going on with Dawn.'_

The raven haired boy dialed the number and waited patiently...then a, "Hello?" issued from the computer.

"Mrs. Berlitz?" Ash asked excitedly, looking at the sleepy blue-haired woman before him.

Johanna blinked. "Oh, Ash it's you, and how many times have I told you to call me Johanna?"

He smiled. "Sorry, Johanna." She nodded and smiled back. "So I was wondering...um..."

"If Dawn was here?" Johanna guessed, her voice sounding as though she was hiding a smile.

Ash blushed, fumbling with his hair. "Um um...well I um-"

"Yes, she'll be here soon actually- about an hour before her ferry docks."

His heart leaped giddily into his throat. "She is?" He asked, his brown eyes sparkling with joy. Johanna nodded and smiled.

"Do you have room for, uh, three more?" Ash asked politely, using his best beg face. The blue-haired woman blinked. _'Well, this will definitely make Dawn's day,' _she thought brightly.

"Of course, Ash," Johanna replied.

"Yay!" The black-haired boy shouted, pumping his fist. "We'll be there ASAP!"

Johanna laughed. "Alright, but Ash..."

He looked at her. "Yeah?"

Her smirk looked a lot like one Dawn would make at him if she was teasing him. "Make sure your change out of your pjs...and your mother says to keep washing and changing your underwear!"

"Ah!" Ash yelped, ending the call and realizing he was still in his pajamas. _'Smooth, Ketchum,' _He thought with a shake of his head. He headed back upstairs to his two companions and into the awkward silence between them...of course, being Ash, he noticed nothing.

"Hey guys!" Ash chirped, grinning. "We're going to Sinnoh!"

Both look up with shocked faces. "Wha-what?" They asked in unison.

"Sinnoh! We're going for a visit!" Ash said with an excited hop. The purple haired girl smirked.

"Oh, where Dawn lives, yes?" She asked, playing with her hair and then closing her eyes, a smug look crossing her face.

"Well yeah," Ash said, slightly confused. _'Why's she looking so smug?' _He wondered.

Iris opened her eyes and the light brown irises twinkled mischievously. "Aw, finally gonna confess your love for Dawn?" She asked with a giggle.

The ebony haired boy blushed a dark red. "Uh, uh, I don't love her- not like that. She's like m-my sister," He lied feebly, hiding under his hat. Pikachu -who had recovered the previous night- smirked evilly with Iris and he chattered, "Pi-Pikaa!" Which probably meant: 'You're in love you fool, don't lie."

Ash looked at his small yellow partner. "Aw, not you too," He complained and the rest of the group laughed.

The green haired boy decided to be his usual diplomatic self. "Ash, why don't you use this trip to figure out your feelings for Dawn, you know she probably likes you back."

Ash slowly raised his brown eyes to look at Cilan, fumbling with his gloves. "What...makes you..say that?" Ash asked, choosing his words carefully.

"Come on Ash, it's kind of obvious she wants something _more _from you," He said smoothly, straightening his bow tie. Pansage hopped on Cilan' shoulder, waving his hands and barking in agreement to his trainer.

Ash stared in amazement at his friends, trying to process all they were telling him. _Maybe...maybe Dawn does like me. Could she? Is it possible? _He wondered, tugging on his hair. _What they're saying is kind of making sense but it's also really comforting to know I have a chance with her._

* * *

The horn blew loudly as the blunette, the brunette, the redhead, and the auburn haired boy crossed the dock and onto the ferry leaving for Sinnoh.

"All aboard! Ferry leaves from Blackthorn City to Sandgem Town in two minutes!" An announcer voice called from the speaker. The four friends stayed on the upper deck, watching the waves brush the boat and gently lap onto the beach.

_Here we go, _Dawn thought nervously, her fingers playing through her long blue hair. _Going home and not looking back for a long time..._

"Dawn, are you okay?"

The teen jumped and looked at her three friends, all had expressions of worry and concern on their faces.

"I'm f-fine, no need to worry!" Dawn said quickly, waving her hands wildly and faking a smile. Kenny nodded, his mouth quirking; Zoey and May looked at each other, both looking doubtful.

"Come on, we'll have fun at my house!" The blunette chirped, trying to keep their spirits up but mostly trying to convince herself that she was okay.

"Alright, Dawn, let's just relax for now," May said with a breezy smile. "Maybe we can observe some guys..?"

"What about your boyfriend?" Zoey questioned May. May blushed but giggled.

"Oh, Drew'll be okay, it's not like I'm gonna cheat on him... I just like looking at guys in general- especially Ash." May snickered and Kenny stared at her as she winked at Dawn. "He's quite easy on the eyes don't you think, Dawn?"

Dawn shrugged. "I guess." May opened her mouth to speak but Dawn cut across her, "I'm gonna...go sit down for awhile." And she bolted before they could press her for more details on her obsession with Ash.

_Ash...Ash Ketchum, _Dawn thought, the name washing over her and making her relax. She slowed to a walk and settled in a chair under shade, hugging her knees. _I'm in love with Ash Ketchum. Ash, I love you soooo much, so so much!_

"Love you so very much," The blunette said out loud, not realizing she'd verbalized her thoughts and too busy imagining Ash's warm chocolate brown eyes...

"Love who very much?"

Dawn practically jumped out of her skin. Someone was standing in front of her, his dark eyed glare making her cringe.

"P-Paul?"

"Yes, it's me," The purple haired boy said impatiently, narrowing his eyes still further.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Dawn said, her voice a mere squeak. Paul always made her feel unsafe and exposed, like she was being X-rayed.

Paul rolled his eyes. "I was coming back to Sinnoh, girl, and I get up on this deck and hear you mumbling that you love someone." Dawn blushed. "So who do you love?"

"Th-that's none of your business!" The coordinator said, trying to sound fierce but only achieving a feeble quiver.

Paul sighed, his eyebrows dipped low over his eyes in irritation. "Please, you could babble your big mouth to any stranger," He said curtly.

Dawn gritted her teeth. "What's my love life to you, huh?"

The teen hesitated, scrutinizing her with a slightly tense look. She also noticed his dark eyes no longer were boring into her and his cheeks...were they the tiniest of pink?!

"Nothing, just be careful what you say in public," He responded coldly, his eyes meeting hers with a spark of annoyance in them. He turned and started to walk away, but the blunette caught his wrist.

"Paul?"

The purple haired boy stiffened, and then slowly turned to face her. "What?" He spat, but his voice sounded less stern this time. He stared into her eyes and she saw..was it hope in those dark tunnels? His cheeks were also redder than before...

"Take care of yourself and um..." She hesitated. "I'm in love with Ash." Dawn released him and turned her back to him, not wanting to see his smug smile or hear any taunts thrown at her. She smoothed her red sundress and ran from the boy, her flip flops slapping the deck with haste.

Dawn kept running and running, not stopping to look back to see if anyone noticed her. She finally managed to spit out the words that had been caught in her throat for years, since her and Ash had met and she had spewed them to Paul of all people, the boy who ridiculed and hated her. She remembered seeing those gorgeous brown eyes of Ash's fix on her for the first time, and he had been a mess after the fight with Team Rocket. She remembered his torn gloved hand extend towards her, the smile on his handsome face and the gleam of euphoria in his eyes. She remembered taking that hand and feeling sparks...since that day she realized that he was something special and important to her.

And now, she knew Paul would ruin that for her.

By now she had run down many hallways, not looking back once and not paying attention to any activity behind her. But alas flip flops were not running shoes and of course Dawn was blinded by humiliation and tears that had begun to form in her sapphire orbs so she didn't notice the person in front of her saying her name until she slammed into them and fell backwards with a cry of surprise and pain.

But hands clamped on her bare shoulders and held her still. "Why are you running?" Paul's voice issued in her face. She blinked back her tears and found frustrated black eyes inches from her own.

"Paul, why did you follow me?" She half wailed, trying to step back, but she found his strong hands holding her tightly.

He ignored her question. "Why are you crying?" He pressed on, giving her a slight shake. "Answer me."

Dawn would've sank to her knees if he hadn't caught her under the arms, keeping her steady.

"Dawn, answer me," Paul repeated, trying to look her in the eye. She blinked. Did he just use her name?

Dawn gulped and struggled for the words. "Y-you're going to ruin my chance with Ash," she said shakily, trying to pull away from his grasp.

"How?"

"You'll tell him I like him and say mushy things about me and him and then he'll be too embarrassed to talk to me," the blunette finished with a sigh.

The ferry's horn blew up above, signaling the passengers that they'd be docking in a few minutes.

"Look, I have to go," Dawn said, wiping her eyes, struggling loose from his grip and walking away from the silent boy.

"Hey! I won't ruin anything, I won't even tell him!" Paul called after her retreating back. She peeked over her shoulder but kept walking, too upset to realize that the boy she least expected to care actually did; she could hear the smallest catch of hurt in his voice and see the tender look in his eyes...he meant it.

Paul was changing...

_I guess that means some people change their minds about others, but I know this decision to love Ash is one I will never abandon, _Dawn thought gravely as she marched up the deck to meet her friends...

* * *

The ebony haired trainer excitedly bounded up and down the ferry, too excited to sit still. He couldn't exactly put words into his giddiness to see his old friend, but part of him was still worried.

_What if she likes another guy? _He thought, drumming his fingers on the rail. _What if she rejects me?_

Ash shivered at the thought of rejection...he would be crushed if she felt that way, but he knew he would work for her love 'til the very end.

For another couple of hours Ash walked around and around the boat, trying to take his mind off of things and just relax. Dawn's beautiful face kept popping up in his brain, and those sapphire eyes made his knees weak- how much longer was it until the ferry docked?

Runnning a gloved hand through his raven hair, Ash finally saw a dark blob in the distance. "Sinnoh!" He yelled happily, hopping up and down as the boat pulled closer and closer to the girl he loved...

"Ash, relax," said an amused voice behind him and he turned to find Iris and Cilan standing there, smiling at his behavior.

"I can't, she- I mean Sinnoh is so close!" Ash exclaimed, waving his hands to emphasize the point. Pikachu barked something, trying to calm down his trainer.

The purple haired girl giggled. "Aww, so romantic!" She squealed. Ash blushed and looked down.

_He's so lucky, _Iris thought glumly, her eyelashes drooping sadly over her eyes. Cilan noticed this at once and raised an eyebrow, making a mental note to ask her about it later.

The horn blew overhead, startling the trio but put a huge grin on Ash's face. "We're here!" He shouted. The moment the ferry docked he sprinted out onto the dock, excitement coursing through him.

_This is it, I'll be seeing her soon, _Ash thought, staring past Jubilife City and knowing Twinleaf Town was close, with his lovely blunette at the center.

* * *

**So that's it for now (; It should have a couple more chapters soon and I'll try to get Chapter 3 up soon!**

**Ash: Eww this ikarishipping moment was horrid *pretends to retch***

**May: No kidding!** ***barf***

**Paul: Whatever *walks away***

**Dawn: Um...please review?**


	3. Quarrels of Love

**Wow I got this Chapter up sooner than I expected! Haha well awesome sauce!**

**May: This Chapter has the most words so far (;**

**Ash: Ah the longest perhaps?**

**Iris: *rolls eyes* Shut up, Ash**

**Ash: Iris is just eager for this chapter 'cuz she-**

**Everyone else: Shhh!**

**Me: Haha this chapter is all about love c; enjoy mwahaha**

* * *

**Chapter 3- Quarrels of Love**

'_This is it, I'll be seeing her soon!', Ash thought, staring past Jubilife City and knowing Twinleaf Town was close, with his lovely blunette at the center._

Dawn hardly listened to the small talk between her three friends and mother. Her head was filled with so many thoughts and emotions she was surprised she hadn't blown up from the strain.

_If he loved me...wouldn't he have confessed? _She wondered, nibbling on the end of her straw. Her hand clenched around her glass full of lemonade, her bare foot tapped the ground and she sighed heavily. _Ash was always scared of his feelings...he never seemed to want to engage in a relationship- he always said he was afraid of messing up._

The blunette remembered that day, it wasn't long ago; in fact, it had occurred the second day she visited Ash, Iris, and Cilan...

_Dawn smiled at the duo. She had come to love Ash's new friends and her feelings of jealousy towards Iris had vanished the second she met her. Iris seemed like a comfortable person to be friends with, even though Ash had teased how insufferable she had been upon meeting one another. Iris responded by wacking Ash over the head with her bag and argued that he had been a wild little kid who didn't know what he was doing. It put an adorable pout on the raven haired boy's face and made Dawn giggle hysterically._

"_Not that he hasn't changed, but he has gotten better," The dark violet haired girl prompted, causing Dawn to shake harder from laughter. Cilan tried to hide his chuckles in his hand._

"'_Scuse me, grape head, but you aren't exactly tolerable either," Ash retorted, and the two audience members almost burst with laughter. Iris jumped to her feet and put her index finger uncomfortably close to Ash's face, her teeth clenched._

"_At least I know what I'm doing!" She hissed back._

_Ash smirked back, leaning back an inch. "So do I."_

"_Oh please."_

"_You're just jealous 'cause I've been a trainer longer!"_

_Iris grinned evilly. "Say anymore and I will spill your crush's name for everyone to hear."_

_The raven haired boy paled at once and stood up, backing away and holding his hands out. "N-no, I d-don't have a cr-cr-crush!" He squeaked feebly._

"_Sit down, you know you do," Iris taunted as he seated himself nervously back down beside Dawn. The blunette smiled at the two._

"_So, who is this girl?" She asked Iris._

"_I don't like anyone!" Ash protested. "I don't want a relationship!"_

_Dawn felt the blow of his words hit her hard. She forced the smile to stay plastered on her face and blinked the tears back, her fingernails biting hard into the couch cushion beneath her to keep from shaking._

"_Why not?" Iris questioned. Out of the corner of her eye, Dawn noticed Cilan scrutinizing her curiously. She hastily grinned at him and turned her attention back to Ash and Iris's conversation._

"_Because...I'll just mess up and then I'll accidentally hurt her and...well I don't want to live with that guilt," The teen mumbled, fiddling with his gloves and his cheeks turned a cute rosy color._

_Dawn leaned over and gently slipped her arms around him, her cheek against his shoulder. "Ash, I'm sure if you tried you'd be an incredible boyfriend," She said softly. She felt Ash's body get slightly warmer and his arms gently circled around her, making her blush as well._

"_She's right, Ash, you never know until you make the attempt," said Cilan, and the blunette peeked sideways at him to see him smiling in a secretive way at Iris, who's gleeful smirk couldn't be more evident._

"_Uh...why are you guys smiling like that?" Ash asked his two Unova friends, who innocently smiled at him._

"_No reason," Iris giggled, wiggling her eyebrows at Cilan. "We just know who might be perfect for you."_

"_Who?" Ash and Dawn yelled in unison, then both looked at one another and quickly released each other, their cheeks bright red._

"_Oh my, aheh. I'll think you'll come to realize who that special girl is," Cilan chuckled, smiling at Ash and Dawn's reaction. "And you'll be head over heels for her, Ash, trust me."_

"Dawn? Ello? Earth to Dawn!" Someone's voice chimed, and the blunette pulled herself from the memory to look at the person speaking to her. The brunette tilted her head.

"Dawn? Did you hear me?"

"Uh, what...oh no sorry," Dawn mumbled distractedly, feeling uncomfortable with four pairs of eyes on her.

"I said," May said, her voice biting back impatience. "Why don't you tell your mom why you decided to take a break?"

The blunette's eyes widened. "Uh..n-no that's okay," She managed, putting on a fake smile under her mother's stern gaze.

"You can tell me, honey, it might help," Johanna told her, her stern expression melting off her face, replaced by a look of concern.

"No, I'm okay, no need to worry!" Dawn said quickly, hoping her catchphrase would help close the matter of making sure the young coordinator was in good health. Her mom didn't press, though the looks on Kenny's and Zoey's faces said otherwise. May's cerulean blue eyes studied her for a moment before turning to Johanna and saying,

"So, about these additional guests?"

Dawn sighed, glad the conversation was away from her. She got up from the table.

"I'm gonna take a walk."

The four of them stared at her. She smoothed her red sundress and looked back at them, her expression not betraying any of the screaming emotions brawling inside her.

"Want us to come with?" Kenny asked, rising from his chair, but the blunette shook her head. "N-no, that's okay, I'll see you guys soon," Dawn said, and she took off out of the kitchen and out onto the lawn, away from their curious eyes.

* * *

The walk was only an hour and a half to Dawn's, but it felt much longer to Ash, especially when Iris and Cilan begged him to stop and eat halfway through the journey.

"God, Ash, you must really be desperate to see her if you're willing to postpone lunch just to get to her house," Iris commented through a mouthful of her sandwich. Ash, who could barely sit still and who was having trouble chewing his salami, glared at the bud dragon master.

"Sorry, but wouldn't you be anxious to see the person you loved for a long time?" He snapped back, shoving the remains of his sandwich into his mouth like an angry Munchlax would.

The purple haired girl shrugged a shoulder, her cheeks turning pink as she snuck a glance at Cilan. "I guess so," She admitted quietly, tugging on her sleeves. She was relieved he didn't look up from his book and catch her staring at him; Cilan could read people so easily that it slightly unnerved her. However, she couldn't help but...

"Are you guys done yet?" Ash complained, his bag slung over his back and tapping his foot impatiently.

Iris tore her gaze from the gym leader and stood up, crumbs tumbling down her front. "Of course, lover boy, let's go. Cilan-" Her voice faltered for a second, but she cleared her throat and tried again, "-Cilan...you ready?"

The green haired teen rose to his feet and smiled down at his slightly younger companions. "Yup, we shouldn't delay any longer or Ash might go into cardiac arrest."

Iris giggled and Ash pronounced his impatience in his annoyed huff, starting to walk ahead of the other two.

Iris and Cilan decided to give Ash some space for awhile and enjoy the unfamiliar yet beautiful scenery. Leaving behind the city and entering open fields and meadows, lush forests, open gardens of flowers, and lots of wild Pokemon.

"Wow, Cilan, who's that?" Iris asked, pointing to what looked to her a light blue cat with black hind legs.

"Hm, I believe that's a Shinx, which are pretty common around the Sinnoh region," Cilan informed her. His hand suddenly closed on her shoulder and turned her a little. "And see those birds? Those are Starly and their evolved form, Staravia."

Iris's cheeks grew warm from his touch. She tried to listen to the connoisseur talk about Sinnoh region Pokemon, but the sparks jumping from the smallest contact between them kept distracting her.

Cilan seemed to notice that she wasn't fully listening to him, for he said, "Iris, are you alright?"

Her light brown eyes widened and she met his green eyed gaze with a wild sort of smile. "Y-yes of course, why wouldn't I be?" She asked so fast her words practically tumbled over each other.

He raised an eyebrow. "You look flustered from such a simple question."

Iris's face burned red again. "I, um, I uh-"

"Which reminds me, I wanted to ask you something: what was wrong this morning? You seemed upset that Ash discovered his true love..." Cilan chewed his lip, losing his composure for a second. "Is it because you like him?"

Iris looked horrified. "No! Ew no. I mean Ash's my friend and I would never have those feelings for him. Never. Yuck." A frightened giggle escaped her. Something flashed in Cilan's eyes...was it relief?

"Oh, okay I was just wondering because you looked very distressed and.." His voice died as he stared into her eyes, and something passed between them...he tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear and he leaned down toward her slowly...

"Hey! You guys! Can you hurry please? We'll be at Dawn's in fifteen minutes!" Ash called, interrupting the duo, who jumped away from each other, both red faced and awkward.

"Y-yes!" Cilan answered, him and Iris jogging to catch up with the eager and impatient teen. The raven haired boy was too caught up in seeing the girl he loved to notice the little moment the other two had exchanged.

So the trio walked in silence, Ash in the middle so Cilan and Iris couldn't get distracted again...as much as they wanted to...

* * *

Mrs. Berlitz told May, Zoey, and Kenny that she should gather groceries since she would have so many guests for a couple weeks and left the three alone. They retired from the kitchen and into the living room, sitting on the soft couch and chairs and flicking through channels on the television.

"It's so great that Ash is coming and bringing his new friends!" May exclaimed, clapping her hands together. Zoey nodded, smiling, but Kenny had a frown across his face.

Both girls picked up on Kenny's bad mood and decided to press him for details.

"Kenny, what's wrong? Aren't you excited?" The brunette asked, bouncing slightly in her seat. May on sugar high was the first sign of her getting in the groove for a party.

"Eh, I guess so," said he grimly, his arms crossed. "Just not thrilled about Ash coming back."

Zoey raised skeptical eyebrows. "Oh, and why is that?"

The auburn haired boy glared at Ronda on the TV screen, who was smiling and waving enthusiastically at the camera as she stood beside some famous trainer. "He'll be all over Dawn- I know he likes her."

The female coordinators exchanged a dark look. It was obvious Ash and Dawn liked each other, but at some intervals Kenny had tried to show his feelings for Dawn. Zoey, being there for most of it, noticed Kenny's jealousy when he saw Dawn and Ash high five, when they hugged, when he caught Ash staring at Dawn or when she was caught staring at him. The redhead felt bad for the male coordinator, but she knew Dawn didn't see Kenny as more than just a best friend, which she knew infuriated Kenny more. He starved for Dawn's affections, but only got her friendly smile instead of the giddy and loving one she flashed for Ash...only for Ash...

Zoey was afraid Kenny's resentment and jealousy would get to an uncontrollable point. Kenny's temper was certainly scary and not something that you wanted to see.

"He's always so close to her, always looking at her, always talking to her and I've seen him on occasion trying to protect her!" Kenny burst out, slamming his fist on the arm of the couch. "It's frustrating, like he somehow has a claim on her..."

May sighed. "Kenny, Ash doesn't have a claim on anyone, nor does he want to. He's just in love with her and she's in love with him... you can't get between love even if you want her and obviously Ash just wants other guys to know that he has his eyes on her. I'm sorry, Kenny, but that would just be selfish and wrong if you tried to push them apart."

"Let other guys know he has his eyes on her? That's ridiculous!"

"No offense, Kenny, but you act possessive over Dawn when she's around or when another guy talks about her," Zoey told him.

The auburn haired coordinator stuck his nose in the air and closed his eyes in irritation. "Oh please, I just know me and Dawn should be together- I've known her longer than Ash, and longer than both of you!"

The girls rolled their eyes. "It's not a question of who's known her the longest," Zoey said coldly. "It's who appeals to her most, and who really knows Dawn Berlitz. I think we can agree that Ash knows and understands Dawn the best since they are so similar." May nodded.

Kenny glared at them and rolled his dark eyes. "Say what you want, but Dawn will change her mind...I know she will."

The brunette and the redhead decided not to argue, but when Kenny went into the kitchen for a soda, May whispered to Zoey,

"Kenny's gonna be sadly mistaken when Ash sweeps Dawn off her feet."

* * *

The blunette stared into the depths of Lake Verity, her fingers pulling up grass and tossing the pieces aside. She felt so...empty. Without him there with her she felt so utterly lost.

_Oh Ash, I wish you weren't so determined...then you wouldn't have left to pursue your dreams, _Dawn thought, then shook her head and gave herself a slap. _Are you crazy, Dawn? One of the reasons you love him is that he never quits. He's brave and bold, he's strong and courageous, he's kind and compassionate, and he's handsome and so...protective..._

She squeezed her eyes shut so she wouldn't have to look at her royal blue irises, and a tear slipped out. "Oh Ash..." She murmured, slapping the water angrily and it rippled, her reflection disappearing in the small waves.

She sniffled and hugged her knees, ducking her head down. "Why did I leave you?"

"I don't know, why did ya, Dawn?"

She froze; this had to be a daydream, an imagination, her emotions overwhelming her to the point that she was going mad and having hallucinations of him...but the caring, sweet voice brought back memories of victories, heart breaks, friendship, fights, high fives...

That voice made her skin tingle, made her hands tremble, made her heart leap into her throat and her stomach somersault. It seemed too good to be true...especially when he had consumed her thoughts for so long and so much of late...it was as if fate was bringing them back to each other...

The shocked blunette turned shining blue eyes to the speaker.

And there he was, hands shoved in his pockets, a devilish smile across his lips, his chocolate brown eyes staring into hers, his dark hair messy as usual under his cap...

He was here...really here...

Ash Ketchum had returned.

* * *

**Whelp, that's it for now. SUSPENSEFUL CLIFFHANGER. I shall update this ASAP though depending how long it will be I may have Part 2 of "Want You Back" up first...I'm not sure. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the Wishfulshipping moment, there will be more! (: And now we have one-sided Penguinshipping rising up to battle Pearlshipping (though Pearlshipping is way better lawl) And did anyone notice the foreshadowing in this chapter? Hm, anyone? heh heh**

**Ash: Blek Penguinshipping is weird**

**Kenny: Hey!**

**Dawn: I must agree...me and Kenny don't click *snickers***

**Kenny: *frown***

**Zoey: o.O Yah I agree**

**Kenny: *faints***

**Cilan: Aha, please review c: leave suggestions, ask questions, and just review review review!**


	4. My Hero

**Sorry it took so long for Chapter 4 to get up, I've been busy seven days a week and now I'm done with softball and theatre for the summer. This was my week to relax before I start getting ready for Volleyball, but I hope it won't take as long for Chapter 5 to get up. SO SORRY.**

**I'd like to thank my dearest friend Gabby, who encouraged me to keep writing when I had writer's block. Yay I hope you're reading this, girl. c; I hope you enjoy it most since you're my closest friend that adores Pearlshipping as much as I do. Pearlshippers at heart! WHOOP!**

**Ash: About time, I've grown some cobwebs.**

**Zoey: *Gibbs slaps Ash* Shuddup, at least she updated.**

**Ash: *grumbles***

**Dawn: Ugh, this chapter makes me look like a sissy x.x**

**Me: Nah, everyone will love it. Hopefully. Haha. You should all expect MORE Pearlshipping moments in this chapter c; I hope it satisfies you. And I decided that the next story to be posted will be a Anti-Cavalier (GaryxDawn)/ Pearlshipping story. NOBODY VOTED FOR ANTI-CAVALIER and that's the one I wanted to do the most! xp so I'm doing it. My choice. I just wanted opinions. However, I will of course be doing stories for those other anti shippings- they all will end with Pearlshipping. Just letting you know. Now I shall cease my babbling so you can enjoy Chapter 4 :3 here we go!**

* * *

**Chapter 4- My Hero**

_And there he was, hands shoved in his pockets, a devilish smile across his lips, his chocolate brown eyes staring into hers, his dark hair messy as usual under his cap..._

_He was here...really here..._

_Ash Ketchum had returned._

Standing in stunned silence, Dawn's head was blank. She couldn't think, couldn't speak, couldn't move. The world seemed to have fallen away and the more she stared into Ash's brown eyes, the farther she drowned in them.

"D-Dawn?" He whispered, his smile faltering a little as he looked at her in concern. She blinked, the sound of his voice reawakening the feeling in her muscles. Her brain switched back on and suddenly she was running toward him, a buoyant smile appearing, the first genuine one she made since the last time she saw the boy she loved.

The concern melted off the raven haired boy's face to be replaced by his joyous grin, and then he was charging towards her. They crashed into each other and both pairs of arms were thrown around each other. In the midst of confusion, they tumbled over one another, tangled in each other's arms. Ash, lying on his back, chuckled and pulled the blunette closer to his chest, running his fingers through her hair, making sure she was real. Her hair was soft and her skin was smooth under his touch.

"You're here," she croaked, her breath tickling the hairs on the back of his neck. He breathed in her shampoo, the familiar scent relaxing him. He felt her shaking and he gently took her chin and lifted it up so he could look into her royal blue irises. She was...crying?

"Arceus, why are you crying?" He asked, afraid he'd done something wrong or had something bad happened?

She took several deep breaths and blinked her eyes a couple of times. "I m-missed you," Dawn mumbled, her cheeks reddening. A cheeky grin spread across his face.

"Missed me?" Ash teased, prodding her side as he sat up. Her cheeks got a darker red and she stuck out her tongue.

"Yes I did, though if you keep teasing me I'll push you in the lake."

Ash laughed and tousled her hair. "Good, you better have missed me 'cause...uh.." Now he was blushing and she was smirking.

"'Cause why? You missed me too?"

The raven haired boy bowed his head, trying to hide his face behind his hat, when he realized it wasn't on his head. He looked around wildly and spotted it on top of the coordinator's head.

"Funny," He mumbled, making a grab for it while she ducked.

"Ahem, uh, hello there, Dawn," said a voice behind Ash and they both looked up. Cilan and Iris were standing there awkwardly, but both were smirking at their enthusiastic greeting. Even Pikachu, perched on Cilan's head, had a sneaky grin across his red cheeks. The coordinator and the trainer blushed.

"Hey Cilan, Iris, oh, and Pikachu!" Dawn said quickly, springing to her feet and hugging the duo plus Pikachu briefly. Ash stood up as well, and hugged the blunette from behind. He just couldn't believe he was really seeing her, really holding her in his arms as she turned around to wrap her arms around his neck...it was all so much bliss...

"Look, it's Ash!" a girl's voice piped up, and Ash turned his head to see three familiar figures approaching them. The three coordinators stopped in front of the hugging raven haired boy and blunette, the girls smiling.

"Hey May, Zoey, Kenny," Ash replied, knuckle bumping the brunette, shaking hands with the redhead, and stretching his hand out to the auburn haired boy, who narrowed his dark eyes at Ash's arm still around Dawn.

"Hi..." Kenny said coldly, taking Ash's gloved hand and gripping it more tightly than was necessary while shaking it. Ash let go with question in his eyes.

"Ohmigoodness, Ash, who're your friends here?" May chirped, turning her attention from the silent and menacingly exchange between the two boys to the purple haired and green haired teens standing quietly in the background.

"Oh, sorry, Iris, Cilan, these are my friends Zoey, Kenny, and May Maple- all of them are coordinators," said Ash, gesturing to each person as he said their names. "Zoey, Kenny, May, this is Iris, who's aiming to be a dragon master, and Cilan, a Pokemon connoisseur and one of the gym leaders of the Striaton City gym in Unova."

"Lovely to make your acquaintance," Cilan said swiftly, taking May's, Zoey's, and Kenny's hands in turn. Iris did as well, smiling warmly at the trio of coordinators.

"Yay, great to make new friends!" May squealed, hopping up and down, beaming from ear to ear. "I think we all need some bonding time; I hope you brought a bathing suit because we're going swimming!"

The dark haired boy looked awkwardly at the blunette, and then at his two Unova friends.

"Uh, yeah, sure," Iris spoke in the silence, and she sounded slightly taken aback. May was a lovable, fun girl, but she could throw people off by being straightforward. It was one of the qualities Ash admired in her; you always knew how May felt about something.

"Great!" May cheered, clapping her hands together and flashing a brighter smile. "Let's all go to Dawn's first to change and we'll come straight back here." The brunette linked arms with Iris and Zoey and lead them away, Cilan trailing after them awkwardly. The all had the same motive: let Ash and Dawn have some alone time.

Kenny, however, lingered back and tried to walk with the pair, but their attentions were focused on each other.

"...wish you could've visited again in Unova," Ash was saying, his arm around Dawn's shoulders and hers around his waist as they walked. His smile was lopsided, and his cheeks were bright red. He wasn't quite accustomed to having the love of his life so close to him yet, having a three month gap between them had taken a toll of their happiness and having each other near again seemed too good to be true.

"I would've loved to, but I was so busy with my contests," the blunette replied, her smile also nervous with overexcited tension hidden behind it. There was also sadness in her voice, for being top coordinator was everything she dreamed of since she was small, and right now her dreams were on hold. Not because of Ash or the others. But because she didn't have the confidence to enter one for awhile.

The raven haired boy gave her an affectionate nudge with his shoulder. "I bet you've been doing amazing!" He exclaimed. Dawn's royal blue eyes lifted to meet his sparkly brown ones, and she sighed heavily, her lashes drooping.

"Not lately I haven't," She admitted, watching her bare feet, unable to meet his eyes again. She didn't want to see disappointment or sympathy in them.

The response she got surprised her, however. "Ya know, my battles haven't gone well lately either."

The coordinator looked up to see a grim smile on the trainer's face. He wasn't looking at her, but when she fixed her gaze on him, he turned to look at her.

"R-really?" She asked with wide eyed wonder. Ash hardly ever lost, let alone seemed bothered by it. He was a bubble of optimism, she had teased once upon a time. It would make him laugh and either shove her lightly or tousle her hair.

"Yeah, not such a 'bubble of optimism' right now, am I?" Ash asked her, as though he had read her mind. She laughed.

"Nope. But when you are, I'll feel free to drop the name back on you," She teased. He chuckled, and tugged her closer, so her cheek got squished against his shoulder. She smirked. "Bubble of optimism is back, I see," She commented. Ash laughed some more and scooped her up, tossing her over his shoulder and taking off running with her.

"Eek, Ash!" Dawn squealed, clinging to him as he sped past the group of four ahead, who were starting to laugh. The blunette's cheeks were a deep scarlet, but she didn't try to squirm out of his grip.

Ash burst open the front door and bolted up the stairs with her still hanging over his shoulder. She was in fits of hysterical giggling, and both couldn't help but feeling the happiest they had been in months.

It was too perfect to be spoiled.

* * *

As everyone got changed, Kenny stood in his guest room, feeling as though several thousand knives had been stabbed into his already wounded heart. Seeing the girl he loved in someone else's arms was squashing him to a pulp, making him feel useless and angry and, of course, jealous to the bursting point.

'_How can she love him?' _The auburn haired boy thought furiously, pacing in his light blue swim trunks. '_I thought me and her were going to go on a journey together. She even told me I looked handsome when I beat Ash that one time! I thought she had chosen me.'_

The male coordinator pressed his forehead into the wall, angry tears spilling from his closed eyes. "What am I suppose to do?" He asked the light green wallpaper, as though it would offer an explanation. No such luck.

Suddenly, he felt more angry than ever. _'What am I doing crying?' _He asked himself, wiping the tears away angrily. He remembered what Brock said. A man always puts his heart on the line, and it breaks. And breaks again. And again. But he would keep doing it 'till he succeed.

He knew now that Ash would more of his competitor than ever. Kenny would fight every last breath and do anything and everything to win Dawn's heart. _'Watch out, Ash Ketchum, because Dawn Berlitz will be mine.'_

* * *

"The water's calling our names!" May called out, running at full speed towards Lake Verity. It was a lovely sight, the water calm apart from the river that connected the lake through the forest; the river was a powerful current and it was likely if you got stuck in it, you'd be halfway across the Sinnoh region. But the lake itself was tranquil and full of mystery.

May was dressed in a green bikini and positively bursting with excitement. Iris followed, dressed in a purple two piece bathing suit, Zoey in a black one piece, and Dawn in a blue and white bikini. The girls were ahead, and by the time the boys caught up, Zoey, May, and Iris had dived in the cool depths of the lake.

Cilan, in green swim trunks, put his toe cautiously in the water. "A brisk and chilly temperature," He observed, but before he could step back, Ash ran forward in his red trunks and shoved the older boy forward. Cilan gave a cry of surprise and toppled into the water. Everyone burst out laughing.

Kenny smirked, and was just creeping up behind Dawn to push her in when Ash suddenly appeared beside her. Before Kenny could react, the raven haired boy had wrapped his arms around the blunette's slender waist and jumped into the lake with her. She shrieked in surprise and then hit the water, disappearing under the surface with him.

Dawn squirmed, blowing angry bubbles out of her mouth as Ash grinned at her. She couldn't stop a silly smile from crossing her lips. She shoved him away and surfaced, spitting water out of her mouth.

"Assshhh!" She hissed, as he too surfaced, laughing. She clambered back on the bank. "You. Are. So, De-" She started to threaten when Ash grabbed her legs and pulled her back in. The coordinator managed to surface quicker, but it still took her by surprise that Ash got her twice.

"Gotcha again, Dee Dee!" Ash called obnoxiously, snickering. Even the others were laughing. Dawn rolled her eyes and dunked Ash's head under the water. Ash yelped and shook his shaggy wet head, then turned glittering eyes toward her. She could see the light of competition and challenge in those brown depths.

"Oh, it is on," Ash said slowly, cracking his knuckles. The blunette smirked back and rolled her neck a little. Both faced each other, his brown eyes staring into her royal blue ones. Then, at the same time, they charged and tackled each other, flailing in the water.

Kenny, who got in after Ash's jump in with Dawn, was off to a distance beside May and the others, watching the blunette and ebony haired boy wrestle. He gritted his teeth, watching Ash pin Dawn's arms to her sides and tickle her, and seeing her burst into a fit of giggles. '_How does he do that?' _Kenny wondered. _'She and him fall for each other so easily...'_

Their Pokemon had spectated from the sidelines, watching the coordinator and the trainer wrestle with interest. But now they wanted in on the action, and all their Pokemon (apart from the fire types), lined along the bank. Pikachu called, "Pika, Pi..." (1, 2...) Then he cried, "CHU!" (3!)

The Pokemon let their cries ring through the air as in unison they hit the water. A huge wave blew the trainers in all directions, mostly yanked them under the surface. Ash felt Dawn wrenched out of his grasp and he tumbled head over heels in the water. It took him a few seconds of struggling, but he managed to push to the surface and found the other five trainers there as well. They were spewing water from their noses and mouths, and in May's case, swear words.

"Ugh, what was that for?" May grumbled after she stopped cursing, and directed her words at her Glaceon, who just made a cute growling noise and splashed it's trainer. Everyone laughed, especially the Pokemon; even the fire types on the bank had the nerve to giggle.

But they weren't laughing long. In the midst of the confusion, they didn't realize there was suppose to be seven of them. Only six were present. Ash was the first to notice, and he swiveled around.

"Where's...?" The raven haired boy began, and then a scream came from his right. He whipped around, and the six trainers saw the blunette being yanked in the ferocious current of the river.

"DAWN!" Ash bellowed, fear in his voice as he scrambled onto the bank and ran alongside the river, trying to catch up with her. She was struggling, being pulled under and then back up and tumbling around, her screams being suffocated in the water.

As he got closer, he realized too late that he didn't know how to fish her out of the water. The current was strong and fast, and probably sucking the air out of Dawn's lungs. She couldn't fight her way out, she was already tiring and who knew when the river ended?

Ash was level with her now, and managing to keep up, but he still didn't know what to do. A loud crack almost made his heart stop. Dawn had stopped flailing, her cries silenced, and now she was limp, the side of her head dripping scarlet liquid...

A rock had cracked her head, knocking her unconscious. Now she was even more vulnerable than before, and it drove Ash into a reckless state of mind. He heard the others call his name behind him, but the only thing he could think of was saving the love of his life.

Before they could stop him, Ash plunged into the river.

The current was as strong as it looked on land, and Ash had to fight like a madman to get to the girl he loved. He gritted his teeth and pushed faster, not letting the water tug him under. Finally, he made a wild dive and his fingers caught her wrist. He pulled her freezing body close to his, and tightened his grip around her.

Ash found it much harder than before to maneuver in the current with Dawn in his arms. With one arm around her waist, he flung his hand out wildly and miraculously, his fingers scraped a rough surface. A boulder! He caught hold of it, pulling himself and Dawn in front of it so they wouldn't be yanked away. He didn't know he was holding his breath into he exhaled sharply, panting and spitting out water.

The trainer was about to yell for his friends, when a branch was lowered in front of him and the unconscious coordinator.

"Grab on and hold tight to her!" Zoey commanded, her hands tight around the branch. May, Cilan, Iris, and Kenny held on behind her, all looking determined. Ash held onto Dawn tightly, then used his free hand to seize the branch, his fingers bleeding from the cuts he'd gotten on the rock, but he ignored the pain and clung on for dear life.

With a heave, the five yanked the tired pair onto the bank, all gasping and heaving breaths of relief. But Dawn still hadn't woken.

"We have to get her back to the house!" Ash yelped, scrambling to his tired feet and scooping the blunette into his arms. They ran for the house, hearts pounding with fear.

* * *

"Okay, she should be fine, but she needs some rest," Cilan assured the nervous group, who were all sitting around Dawn. They had all changed back into their clothes, and the girls had changed Dawn as well. She was lying on the couch, and still hadn't regained consciousness. They hadn't told Johanna; there wasn't a need to worry, with Cilan knowing plenty about medical care and there was no point in rushing her over and interrupting her shopping. She'd be home soon anyway.

Ash had been silent, kneeling beside Dawn and watching her with a blank expression. Worry was evident in his eyes, his hand gently stroking her wet hair off her face. _'Dawn...'_

Kenny kept his distance, his eyes narrowed as he watched Ash. May paced back and forth, fiddling with her cellphone. She had called Drew, to seek some solace, but she'd only got his voicemail, which made her more antsy. Zoey had tried to speak some words of comfort to the brunette, but May kept murmuring scenarios in which Drew could be hurt, lost, or possibly kidnapped, maybe even murdered. Iris watched her sadly, knowing she couldn't console her anymore than Zoey could. Her light brown eyes were on Cilan, who met her eyes with his emerald green ones, and he made his way over to sit beside her. She snaked her arms around his arm and buried her face into his shoulder.

A groan. The world was swimming before her eyes. _'Where..what...ugh,' _Dawn thought, her vision blurred and slowly began to focus. Her head was killing her, and that light was making her feel sick. The first thing that came into focus was a pair of gorgeous brown eyes. Those eyes. _'When I die, I want his eyes to be the last thing I see,' _She thought dreamily.

"Dawn? Dawn!" Several voices cried, mashing together and pounding through her skull. Her six friends grouped around her, making her feel claustrophobic, but warm and safe at the same time.

"Guys?" She murmured, rubbing her eyes. She caught sight of those magnificent eyes again and she smiled dopily. "Ash?" The group laughed, all except Kenny, but it went unnoticed among the others.

"Well, she still knows her boyfriend's name, that's a good sign," May snickered. Ash and Dawn blushed simultaneously. Neither denied it, even though that bridge hadn't been quite crossed yet. "Ash saved you, Dee Dee. Romantic, right?"

Dawn smiled gratefully up at Ash. "Thank you..." She murmured, her eyes swimming with tears of gratitude.

He blushed and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, though he couldn't hide a proud grin. "Anytime." They sat looking into each other's eyes for a minute, and Dawn felt elated. _'My hero, my handsome, brave hero,' _She thought. It was a sweet moment, a moment the pair both enjoyed. That is, until May wolf-whistled and caused some more laughter, and a whole lot more blushing between the two.

Ash cleared his throat, and Dawn slowly sat up. "It's getting late, and I don't want to sleep on this Arceus forsaken couch," Dawn said, swinging her legs off the couch, but wincing as her head starting beating like a drum. Ash's gloved hand took her arm.

"Slow down there, Princess," He chuckled, helping her to her feet. She was unsteady, and she stumbled right into his arms. Her cheeks became a darker crimson, as did his. "I'll help ya, no need to worry." He smiled that sweet, closed lip smile that made Dawn's heart race a hundred miles an hour. The raven haired boy helped her hobble up the steps, and the others heard her bedroom door open as he helped her inside.

May smirked a little, the tension eased slightly now that Dawn was well enough to be spending alone time with Ash...at least while she was awake. "Well, lookie there. If I start hearing moans, I better get some cash."

"What?" Kenny yelped, his voice cracking with anger and confusion.

The three girls giggled while Cilan looked amused. "Moans, dingleberry," May repeated, holding in her giggles. "Ash. Dawn. Alone. In her bedroom." They erupted into fits of giggles again while Kenny looked disgruntled.

Zoey cast a sideways look at the mahogany, auburn haired boy. She narrowed her eyes at his anger and jealousy. _'You'll have to start getting use to them as item, Kenny, whether you like it or not.' _But she feared what he was plotting in his frustrated state...

* * *

The night started out quiet, the occasional hum of bug types and the distant hoots of HootHoot and Noctowl. It was peaceful, relaxing, and enough to lull the trainers to sleep. Ash had the guest room he stayed in during his previous visit, which was the room next door to the younger blunette's. Johanna was asleep in the bedroom across from Dawn's, with a bathroom next to the former's. Next door to the bathroom on the right was where May, Zoey, and Iris slept without space issue. Farther down the hall was Kenny and Cilan's room, which was best if they shared a room rather than Ash and Kenny staying together; who knows what Kenny was plotting against him...

It seemed the night would be refreshing, with not a small disturbance. All of their Pokemon, except Pikachu, Piplup, Axew, and Glameow, were curled together downstairs on the living room floor. The other four were slumbering with their trainers, preferring to be at their partner's side. Not a Pokemon made a sound.

Ash, having a wonderful dream of being a Pokemon master, smiled as he hugged Pikachu and congratulated his other Pokemon. He was grinning ear to ear as they presented a magnificent award, a large trophy to signify that he was the most powerful trainer in the world.

He laughed, not one thing seemed to be able to spoil the moment. But something did. Something apart from his dream that startled him awake. A small noise perhaps? The ebony haired boy glanced at his yellow buddy, who was sound asleep. He frowned. _'What could it have been?' _He wondered. Then he heard it again, something soft and fearful.

And sad.

He listened harder. It seemed to be coming from the room next door. He pressed his ear to the wall and listened. He realized he was hearing...crying. Little feminine cries of sadness and pain.

Ash felt a lump rise in his throat; he knew those cries. When she lost the Hearthome Contest, after the Solaceon contest, when Pachirisu was sick... But why could Dawn be crying now? What was wrong? It made him sick to his stomach to hear her cry like that. He had to know, and he wanted more than anything to hold her in his arms and tell her it was okay.

He pushed open his door, and crept silently to hers. Ash cracked it open slowly, and whispered, "Dawn?"

* * *

**Heheheheh CLIFFHANGER! I already know what's gonna happen c; tehee, more Pearlshipping shall be cropping up in Chapter 5 and even some more Wishfulshipping as well (= I wanted to get this chapter done and up ASAP so I'll go back and fix grammatical errors later that I might have missed during my second or third proofread. I hope you enjoyed this chapter c:**

**And for those who didn't know, Dawn actually told Kenny he was handsome in Sinnoh League Victors when he beat Ash. But she was paying him a compliment, no Penguinshipping. Nada. And he wanted her to come a on journey with him as well. But she decided to go with Ash. HA. And the cute pet names, like "bubble of optimism" was my invention, and "princess" I had considered before, but again my friend Gabby came to the rescue and said I should use it since she heard Ash call Dawn that in her dream. :D So cute! **

**Dawn: Told you I was all damsel in distress T-T**

**Kenny: And you will be again in Chapter 5 xD**

**Dawn: *throws a brick at Kenny***

**Ash: Aww, I think you're cute when you're scared. cx**

**Dawn: o.o *blushes***

**Ash: This chapter was short though**

**Everyone else: *falls over anime style***

**May: It's the longest chapter so far, dingleberry!**

**Ash: ...Still short.**

**Zoey: What's a dingleberry, May?**

**May: Eh...**

**Cilan: Um, please review!**

**Me: Ask questions!**

**Iris: And stayed tuned for Chapter 5! :DDD**


	5. Bittersweetness

**YES I MANAGED MY DEADLINE! Surprised? I am XD Anyways, volleyball started up again and it's five days a week of two hour practices so excuse me for not getting it up sooner! xp School starts the 26th of this blekkie month, which may delay my updates. I try to update all my stories once a month, so be patient.**

**More to admit! Okay, I started writing this story without any idea what the ending would be like. I was kind of winging it and coming up with ideas as I went along. HOWEVER, I was lying in bed one night, bored and definitely not sleepy, when the greatest ideas flooded into my mind for the future plans of this story! I was so happy 'cuz I think you'll love the ideas c: I've also decided that the whole story will be _10 _chapters. So, five more to go after this point cx this story will probably be completed in five months or less XD seems long, I know, but time flies. No worries! It could be worse xp**

**And you noticed I changed the rating to "T" ? It's because I didn't feel this story was K+ anymore and it wouldn't stay that way. Some of the things they talk about won't probably be child appropriate, and some actions won't be either. (No lemons, don't be gross x[) So sorry for any inconveniences!**

**Now, I'm warning you guys now, this chapter is shorter than the last, but longer than the others. There's not much action in this chapter, but plenty of important info and Pearlshipping! I hope you're satisfied c;**

**Ash: Ugh, great, a short chapter x.x**

**Everyone else: SHUT UP ASH!**

**Ash: *sweatdrops* sorry?**

* * *

**Chapter 5- Bittersweetness**

_Ash felt a lump rise in his throat; he knew those cries. When she lost the Hearthome Contest, after the Solaceon contest, when Pachirisu was sick... But why could Dawn be crying now? What was wrong? It made him sick to his stomach to hear her cry like that. He had to know, and he wanted more than anything to hold her in his arms and tell her it was okay._

_He pushed open his door, and crept silently to hers. Ash cracked it open slowly, and whispered, "Dawn?"_

The source of the crying was coming from the bed, which Ash could just make out her shape curled into a fetal position. She was shaking as he approached, shutting the door quietly behind him. The mattress creaked as he got in beside her.

"Dawn?" The raven haired boy said softly, leaning over to turn on her lamp and lightly shaking her. She continued to whimper, her arms over her head. "Dawn, wake up! It's just a dream, please!" He gulped, and then said, slightly louder in her ear, "Dawn, please!"

With a soft cry, the coordinator jerked up, looking wildly around with tears still streaming down her cheeks. She met his brown eyes with her own wet blue ones, and she sobbed harder. Ash pulled her into his arms and rocked her gently, letting her cry into his shoulder.

"Hey, hey, shh, it's okay, I'm here," He murmured into her hair, feeling her arms tighten around him.

"A-Ash?" She croaked, still snuggled into his embrace. "Ash, I thought I lost you. I...I watched you die..."

"It was just a nightmare, it's okay, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere," Ash cooed, one hand rubbing her back, the other stroking her hair. He felt her fingers run through his hair, as though she was making sure he was real, her breath warm against his neck. His body tingled from her touch, and a soft sigh emerged from his lips involuntarily. He couldn't help it; he loved when she tangled her fingers through his hair- it felt good, and having her this close -and alone- was something he only dreamed about.

The ebony haired trainer held her for a long time, and soon, her cries became sniffles, and a moment later she was breathing softly against his chest. His presence comforted her, and her heavy lids wanted to close from his warmth, the way she felt safe in his strong arms, however she fought to keep her eyes open; she hadn't been totally alone with Ash in a long time.

"Will you be okay now, or do you want me to stay?" Ash asked her after a few minutes, pulling back at arms length to look her properly in the eyes. She yawned, but covered it with her hand. "No, I...I want the company, but I don't want to sleep."

Ash blushed, realizing how awkward it would be if someone walked in (especially Dawn's mum!) and caught them together, on Dawn's bed. He saw the blunette watching him, smiling at his red cheeks.

"How 'bout w-we take a walk?" He stuttered, the atmosphere warm and comfortable, and the lamp from her bedside table casting a soft, romantic glow on the pair of them. It was taking all his willpower not to grab her to him and catch her rosebud mouth in his.

She smiled in that lopsided way she did after she cried. "Sure." So he lead the way quietly from her room and out into the hallway, down the stairs, and out onto the porch. They walked down the silent street, the moonlight casting a soft glow across the two teens.

Neither of them spoke, but it wasn't awkward, it was perfectly relaxed between the best friends. The night air was slightly chilly, and since she had only pj pants and a tank top on, the blunette moved a tiny bit closer to her dark haired companion and their arms brushed against each other as he slipped his around her shoulders. Dawn held her breath and then cautiously put her arm around Ash's waist, where she found it fit perfectly, like a puzzle piece.

"I think it's a new moon tonight," Dawn breathed, looking up at the night sky full of stars, and the just visible moon that was making a surprising amount of light. Ash glanced sideways at her, the stars reflecting off her gorgeous royal blue eyes, and then he looked up at the moon.

"It looks like a Cheshire cat smile," He joked, getting a small laugh out of her. "Yeah, Ash, you're right." Silence again for another few minutes, before Ash had the bravery to ask,

"So, your contests haven't been going well?"

She knew he would probably question her about this painful subject, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to speak about it. "No, they haven't. I decided to take a break for awhile, I miss it so badly, but I'm too scared to compete."

Ash frowned. "Why?"

Chewing her lip, she hugged herself and examined her bare feet. "I haven't been feeling confident lately, I guess. I talk a good game and put on a show, but really, I just feel so scared and alone."

Ash sucked in a breath, not believing that she and him were feeling the _exact _same emotions. He'd felt so isolated from everyone, not wanting to spoil their happiness, and now Dawn was confessing how down she had felt as well. She'd done a good job hiding it too, for the sake of her friends.

He stopped, and she halted as well, looking up at him with her head tilted. The raven haired boy put his hands on her shoulders, looked her dead in the eye, and breathed out, "Me too."

The blunette beamed, her eyes watering. "R-really?"

"Yes."

She felt as though a heavy weight was lifted from her shoulders, a dose of relief flooding through her. All those bottled up feelings had been nagging at her; with Ash here, she could deal with the struggle. He helped her through that without knowing it. Now that Dawn had finally confessed these thoughts and emotions, it was as though they were swept away, blown away in the night breeze. The thing she could focus on now was Ash's warm, strong hands resting on her slim shoulders, how close his face was to hers, those chocolate eyes peering into her royal blue ones...

Without realizing it, both teens leaned in toward each other, their foreheads brushing as their lips inched closer together...

"Dawn! Ash! Where are you?" called several voices. The trainer and coordinator reluctantly jumped apart, looking wildly around. A couple flashlights bobbed nearer, and the moonlight hit their five friends' faces.

"There you two are! We were worried!" May cried, throwing her arms around the pair of them and then jumping back with her hands on her hips, smirking. "Wanted some time alone on this lovely night?"

"N-NO!" They both lied hastily, waving their hands frantically, both blushing furiously. The three girls grinned at each other while Cilan chuckled quietly; Kenny, however, looked bad tempered, watching the pair with narrowed dark eyes. He was certainly not pleased at them nearly kissing. Of course that's what they'd be about to do! He could see them from the distance; their bodies had been too close together for being just "friends."

"We were taking a walk 'cause, I, um, had a bad nightmare and Ash woke me up," Dawn admitted, shuffling her feet.

"Aww, so romantic!" Iris squealed. Kenny looked irritated, but there was surprise behind the annoyance.

"Just walking...right," The brunette said under her breath, wiggling her eyebrows. "So, could you explain why you two were practically glued together?"

Both blushed darker and groaned, shouting, "IT WAS COLD! WE WANTED TO BE WARM!"

"Alright, alright," Zoey said, rolling her eyes at their denial. They both grumbled at her sarcasm, ducking their heads to hide their pink cheeks.

"Anyways, how did you guys notice we were missing?" Dawn asked suspiciously, wondering if they had been spying on her and Ash. "It's past two in the morning."

"Kenny said he woke up to get a snack and noticed your door was open," Zoey explained. "He said it was odd because you usually shut it and since you weren't in there, in the living room, on the porch or in the kitchen, he naturally checked Ash's room-" Dawn and Ash reddened more, carefully not looking at anyone. "-and saw he wasn't there either. He yelled for us and we went looking for you guys."

"Sorry for frightening you guys, but we're just fine," Ash reassured them, brushing Dawn's arm as he made his way back to the house. "Let's all just try to get some sleep."

* * *

Dawn awoke to the sound of knocking. She sat up, groggy, her hair sticking up in a million directions. She rubbed her eyes, and, upon spotting her abominable hairstyle, she yelped and went to work brushing it, flattening it to perfection. She sighed in relief and was in the middle of thinking about what to do with her hair when she heard knocking again.

'_I guess I wasn't dreaming,' _She thought, yawning, and proceeded down the stairs. She noticed that nobody else seemed up yet, and her mom had already headed out for some business, so it was her job to answer the door.

"Who's bugging us this early in the morning?" She wondered out loud as she pulled open the door.

"It's actually nine a.m., Dawn, which means it's time to wake up," A boy's sly voice said smugly. "Nice pajamas though," He added, examining her green tank top and white pj bottoms with a smirk. Dawn blinked in surprise, and then grinned at the boy.

"I prefer to sleep a little later, since I'm not on a journey anymore," The blunette told the chartreuse haired boy, throwing her arms around him. "It's been awhile, Drew." He laughed and briefly hugged her back, then let her lead him into the house.

They had met a few months ago at a contest in Johto, where Drew had been aiming for his last ribbon, and May had introduced them. Drew and Dawn had become the best of friends, to May's delight, and the trio hung out occasionally, but Dawn preferred to have a fourth person with them since May and Drew frequently directed their attention to each other. However, with Drew's mysterious powers of speedy contest wins, he raced ahead of the girls, earning his ribbons quickly and often left the pair to do his own private training or traveling.

"_That's Drew for ya," May had told Dawn when the latter had asked how she dealt with the constant separation from Drew. "He's a wild animal that can't be tamed, so I run after him and sometimes, he slows down enough to let me catch up. It's just how Drew is."_

"Well, May will be pleased that you've come," The blunette laughed, leaning against the counter with a cup of coffee in her hand.

"Why will I be pleased?" called a sleepy, slightly loud voice from upstairs, and the pair heard footsteps descending the stairs. They turned to see May padding towards them, one side of her hair flat and mousy, the other sticking in all directions. Dawn giggled into her mug. _'Geez, her hair is messier than mine in the morning.'_

"'Cause the hottest guy in the world is here to see you," Drew said smoothly from his seat at the table, grinning at the sleepy brunette. Her cerulean eyes widened, and her dreamy quality faded as she dashed into his arms.

"Drew!" She squealed, planting a long, passionate kiss on his mouth. He pulled her into his lap, setting his coffee down to put his arms around her waist. Dawn smiled a little, watching the pair. _'Maybe one day me and Ash will be that way...'_

After a few moments and a clearing of a throat, Drew and May broke apart, their foreheads pressed together. "You taste like coffee," May said quietly, licking her lips, causing the chartreuse haired boy and blunette to laugh. "Pour me some, Dawn, would ya?"

Smiling to herself, Dawn obliged to May's request.

"Good morning, guys!" Iris chirped, her purple hair tied in a secure ponytail; it must be quite a chore to comb her hair. She walked over to Dawn for some coffee, poured a cup, then glanced at May and Drew. She did a double take, her eyes narrowed and looking furious.

"What the- oh..." The violet haired girl blushed, looking away from May and Drew's confused stares and tugging at her hair self consciously. The brunette and green haired boy turned their confused gazes to Dawn, who shrugged, but in truth, she knew why Iris had reacted that way...

"_Iris, do you like Ash...as a boyfriend?" Dawn asked nervously. It was nighttime, and both girls were sharing the same room in Cynthia's summer cabin in Undella Town. The two teens had the room to themselves with the boys down the hall. Both were in their PJs, and talking about the next day's plans, but that question had been bothering Dawn for the past couple days._

_Iris wrinkled her nose and snorted. "Yuck, no. He's definitely not my type; he's such a goofy little kid, I just can't take him seriously. Like a little brother, even though he's older than me, ya know?"_

_The blunette laughed, mostly in relief. She searched Iris's face and found it truthful, no hint of blush or lack of eye contact. But something like pain in her light brown eyes told Dawn that Iris did like someone, someone who might not have noticed her attraction..._

"_But you do have a crush on someone," Dawn pressed, eagerly tapping her fingers on the bedspread. Iris flushed and looked at the corner._

"_Well, yeah, doesn't everyone?"_

"_Who is he?"_

"_Well.." Iris bit her lip, looking like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. "I prefer more mature boys, but ones with sense of humour and one who can think for himself. Smart guys, ya know?" She looked really scared now, like she betrayed too much information. Dawn had been carefully putting two and two together, and now realizing who it was, covered her mouth with her hands._

"_You like Ci-" Dawn began, but Iris tackled her and pressed a pillow to her mouth, her eyes wide._

"_Shh! Not so loud!" Iris hissed, carefully uncovering Dawn's mouth and hopping back to her own bed. The blunette massaged her jaw, looking smug._

"_Alright, alright." Dawn leaned closer and whispered, "Does he know?"_

"_No!"_

"_Want me to tell him?"_

"_If you do, you'll be pushing up daisies by morning. And then I'll probably have to take out Ash too, 'cause he'll attempt to murder me for killing you."_

_Giggling, Dawn nodded with a small smile. "But, the problem is, I think he likes someone else!" Iris said softly, shuffling her hands in her lap. "I mean, I know Burgundy has a major crush on him, one that's painfully obvious, and Cilan's just too modest to admit it. What if he won't say it because he likes her too? I mean, they're both connoisseurs, they know each other pretty well.."_

"_Oh gosh, if he likes Burgundy, that weird girl, he must be insane. She's beyond irritating and rude, like to the point she needs a couple slaps." Both girls shared a laugh. "C'mon, Iris, have some faith."_

Back to reality, Dawn watched Iris with pity in her royal blue eyes. At first glance, Iris had thought Drew was Cilan, and that May was sprawled in Cilan's lap. But she had taken another look and realized that the green haired boy's hair was scruffy and falling into his emerald eyes, unlike Cilan's neat hair. Drew was also about a head shorter, but the similar leaf green hair and eyes had thrown her off and Dawn didn't blame her. If she'd seen Ash with another girl perched in his lap, she'd feel upset and jealous too.

"Hey, Dawn, yoohoo!" Someone said in her ear, and she nearly jumped out of her skin. It was Kenny. She smiled slightly at the auburn haired boy, and turned to see the others had woken up and were greeting Drew. All except Iris and Cilan, who hovered awkwardly in the background, thrown off by yet another unfamiliar face. Poor kids.

"Ahem, was somebody going to introduce Drew to Iris and Cilan?" Dawn inquired, giving her friends a dirty look. They looked away, fidgeting with their clothes or hair. Rolling her eyes, the blunette tugged the connoisseur and bud dragon master over to the chartreuse haired boy. "Drew, this is Iris and Cilan, Iris, Cilan, this is Drew, May's boyfriend from Hoenn. He's also a coordinator."

The three awkwardly shook hands and muttered hellos, while Dawn plopped down beside May and Drew. She felt a gloved hand brush her shoulder and she looked up to see Ash grinning down at her. The blunette offered the empty seat beside her and he took it, putting his arm around the back of the couch. Dawn couldn't help but lean back and let her head rest against his warm arm, making both of them blush and smile at each other.

"Oh, the two of you are finally together?" Drew asked over the top of May's head, smirking. Both the trainer's and coordinator's cheeks flamed a darker red, and both exclaimed, "NO!" Everyone laughed, except Kenny, who folded his arms and turned his head away.

"I kid, I kid," Drew assured them, smirking broader at their red faces. "But I do have a question for Dee Dee."

Dawn puffed out her cheeks, looking irritated. Since Drew had heard Kenny call her that, he never ceased an opportunity to taunt her with it.

"Are you participating in the Viridian City contest next week?"

Dawn blinked, the prospect of a contest exciting part of her, but the scared part of her screaming against it. She tapped her chin, considering, when Zoey burst out,

"I'll be in it." She blushed at their stares and looked away guiltily, as though she'd spilled a dirty secret...

"Me too," Kenny said. Dawn frowned; she wasn't sure...

"Ash, maybe you should be in it too," Drew told him, grinning. "I've heard you did a couple and you weren't bad. I'd like to see you perform." Ash looked surprised.

"Oh, uh, sure!" He agreed, a spark of the challenge in his brown eyes. "What about you, Dawn?" He made Bambi eyes at her. "Please?"

She couldn't resist. "Fine, I'm in." A chorus of cheers followed, including Ash pulling her in for a one armed hug, chuckling. She blushed, hiding her face in the ebony haired boy's chest as the others laughed. They would get it.

The blunette jumped up and announced she would start working on her combinations for the contest, her cheeks puffed out in irritation and still red-faced. Ash, Kenny, and Zoey jumped up to accompany her, leaving the rest to converse about their plans about taking a ferry to Kanto and where they would stay.

The four trainers sent out all their Pokemon, and began to practice. Ash and Dawn payed attention to each other and their Pokemon most, so Kenny was left to practice was Zoey. Zoey would glance over the pair and smile, glad they were so happy together, but also wondering when one of them would work up the nerve to ask the other out.

'_It's frustrating to watch them be so perfect together and not actually be in a relationship,' _She thought, watching her Glameow land a perfect shadow claw on Kenny's Empoleon. She watched him call out another attack, but mostly studied his expression; anger, jealousy. He kept looking over at the raven haired boy and blunette with gritted teeth.

'_His behavior better improve or I'll give him a reason to be cranky,' _The redhead thought with a glare aimed straight at the mahogany haired boy, who didn't see because his dark eyes were shooting lasers into Ash's back.

'_Honestly, as angry as he's been with Ash and Dawn's growing relationship, he also seems confident. Like, he knows somehow Dawn will come running into his waiting arms. What is he thinking? Is he plotting something sinister?'_

Zoey snorted. _'C'mon, Zoey, be sensible, Kenny wouldn't do that, probably couldn't come up with a twisted plan to break them up. He's not the sharpest tool in the shed.' _She allowed herself a short laugh.

"Alright, Glameow, knock it out with a final iron tail!" Zoey called out to her Pokemon, who charged, it's tail glowing and hardening into steel. It slapped Empoleon to the ground, the latter's eyes becoming swirly with defeat.

"I win!" Zoey chuckled, returning Glameow to its Pokeball. "You can do better than that, Kenny, c'mon, quit spying on Ash and Dawn!"

Kenny smiled grimly as he returned Empoleon. He turned his black eyes to Zoey, who saw them full of a dark flare she'd never seen in the coordinator before. It actually made her take a step back. "Don't worry, Zoey, I won't have to for much longer."

* * *

**That's it for now mwahahaha XD there was some foreshadowing in the chapter so I hope you caught it c; the next two chapters will be about the contest plus more drama! They will be better than this one, I promise c; I shall probably update next month for this story or hopefully sooner, but don't get your hopes up cx I'm so happy with this chapter, plus I'm extra happy 'cuz my braces come off tomorrow morning! xD**

**Oh, and to help with reviews, I've seen other authors do this and it looks like fun so I'm trying it! I'm asking you guys questions so include them in your reviews! :D**

**Questions:**

**1) Was the Pearlshipping satisfying enough? If not, explain why. If so, what was your favorite part?**

**2) Did you expect Drew to arrive? If not, do you think he'll have a major importance in this story? If yes, then how did you read my mind? o.o (WOOT FOR CONTESTSHIPPING! :D)**

**3) What do you think Kenny is plotting to do?**

**4) Can you guess what Dawn's nightmare was about?**

**5) How is the story going so far? Explain please! Constructive criticism is encouraged!**

**6) Was the chapter good enough to satisfy you? Explain yes or no!**

**7) Is there something in particular you want to see more of? Shippings? Characters? (Ones already in the story)**

**Dawn: Why so many questions? Some people haven't started school yet!**

**Ash: Yah, it's like you're giving them a test.**

**Me: T-T I just want to see their points of view, that's all.**

**Everyone else: *sweatdrops***

****SEE MY BIO FOR WEEKLY UPDATES ON MY STORIES!**

**Iris: R&R, and make sure to include your answers for the 7 questions!**


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